Point Road School has been very busy during the month of October, and it looks as if November will be another busy month! There are many exciting things happening during the month of November. We have the Wizards game, Celebrating Different Learners’ Day, report cards, the Bag Brigade, conferences and many November classroom activities.

​Please do not forget that we will be collecting extra Halloween candy!! We are looking for candy that is not wrapped for Halloween, since we will be donating this candy to Holiday Express to be given out during the holidays.

Time for “fall back!” Remember to set your clocks back on November 5th!!!

Please remember that schools will be OPEN on November 7th, Election Day!!

Schools will be closed on November 9th and 10th for the NJEA Teachers’ Convention.

Help us celebrate Our America Re-cycles Day on November 15th!

Have you remembered to sign up for November conferences? Please see the sign up section on the Point Road website, if you have not!

​The Outreach Little Silver Committee of the PTO will be conducting a Basket Brigade culminating on Friday, November 17th from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM in the Point Road Gym.

​Conferences are on November 17th, 20th and 21st !!Report cards will also be available on the Parent Portal beginning on November 16th!

​The weather has been really tricky lately, 70 degrees on one day and 40 on the next! Eventually we do think that the weather will get colder and remain that way! We have been reminding students that we will still be going outside for physical education and recess. It is important for your child to come to school dressed to spend 30-55 minutes outside. Coats, hats, and gloves should become standard for the next few months.

In addition, our Lost and Found is growing! Please take some time during conferences to review the items that have not been claimed. We have many large and small items in our collection! Please remember if you label your child’s clothing, it makes it much easier for our Keepers of the Lost and Found to return the item to your child.

As we approach this month, I find myself revisiting the importance of parent involvement in the life of a student. Research has repeatedly shown that children learn best when the significant adults in their lives – parents, teachers, and other family and community members –work together to encourage and support them. High student achievement and self-esteem are closely related to positive parental participation in education.Parents are their children's first and most important teachers. You, as a parent, have important knowledge about your child's likes, dislikes, needs, and problems that the school may not be aware of. You may also have ideas for improving your child's school.

Often parents ask, "Why should I need to be involved in school?"There are many benefits when parents are involved in their child's education, including:

Completed homework

Higher grades and test scores

Better attitudes and behavior

The most recent review and revision of the standards occurred in 2014. However, the standards in language arts and math underwent an additional review in 2015 with adoption by the New Jersey State Board of Education in May 2016. The revised standards are called the New Jersey Learning Standards.The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.The New Jersey Student Learning Standards are intended for all students. This includes students who are college-bound or career-bound, gifted and talented, those whose native language is not English, students with disabilities, and students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Insistence on the core curriculum means that every student will be involved in experiences addressing all of the expectations set forth in all nine content areas. A core curriculum does not mean that all students will be enrolled in the same courses. Different groups of students should address the standards at different levels of depth and should complete the core curriculum according to different timetables. Depending on their interests, abilities, and career plans, many students will and should development knowledge and skills that go beyond the specific indicators on the Student Learning Standards. Nevertheless, all students should complete all elements of the core curriculum.

​There are many ways that parents can get involved in their child's education. How can I help my child?Continue to talk to your child about what they are learning. Talk to the teachers regularly about your child and how he or she is doing. Ask your child's teacher for suggestions on how to support school work at home.

Make school important – you can reinforce the importance of school if you:

Speak positively about school and about your child's teacher.

Talk to your child about the importance of school.

Make sure your child gets to school on time.

Attend parent-teacher conferences and special events.

Answer notes and calls from your child's teacher.

Visit your child's classroom.

Support student events and performances by helping with them (such as providing transportation for rehearsals, working on projects, and attending class and school events).

Participate in workshops that are offered.

You can help your child perform better at school if you:

Read with your child.

Encourage reading and writing.

Keep books, magazines, and newspapers in your home.

Take your child to the library.

Discuss what your child reads.

Encourage your child to write notes to grandparents and other relatives.

Suggest that your child keep a journal.

You can help your child be successful at school if you:

Make sure your child arrives at school well rested.

Make sure your child has a good breakfast before school.

Set a regular time and ensure a quiet place for your child to do homework.

Ask your child what he or she has learned in school each day.

Limit his or her television, computer, and video game time.

Praise and encourage your child.

Celebrate your child's successes.

Have high expectations for your child’s learning and behavior, both at home and at school.

Emphasize effort and achievement, and be a role model for getting work done before play.

Establish rules and routines in the home.

You can turn ordinary time together into teachable moments if you:

Use car time to talk to your child about what you see from the car, about his or her day, about your day, etc.

Plan to eat at least one meal each day as a family, and use this time for positive family discussions.

Let your child help prepare the meal, and talk about each step.

Look for things to do together as a family.

Homework is part of your child's work.You should be supportive of this process, but it is not your responsibility to complete the assignments. Here are some homework suggestions:

Help your child develop a homework schedule that he or she can stick to.

Find out how much and what type of homework is assigned in each class, how students are expected to prepare it and turn it in, and what students can do when they do not understand something. Help your child manage the workload by dividing it into small doses.

Talk to your child each day about homework assignments, go over work, see if it is complete,and ask questions about it.

Provide a suitable place for study (if possible, make it quiet and away from the distractions of TV, phone, and loud music).

Reward progress, use lots of praise,and display good work.

Avoid making homework a punishment.

Conferences are another time where teachers and parents can work together to make students more successful. All children learn in different ways. They have their own individual personalities and their own work habits. Working together, you and the teacher can help your child have a successful school year.During conference time, teachers are prepared to discuss your child's progress; they have work samples to discuss with you and suggestions for what you can do to help your child continue to be successful. It is also important for you, as a parent, to come to the conference prepared. Here are some suggestions for you to consider before you attend your parent-teacher conference:

Talk to your children before the conference. Find out what they think are their best subjects and what subjects they like the least. Find out why.

Ask your children if there is anything they would like you to talk about with their teacher. Make sure your children do not worry about the meeting. Help them understand that you and their teacher are meeting together in order to help them.

Write down some notes of things that you think are important to share.

Think about your child's life at home, personality, problems, habits, and hobbies you feel are important for the teacher to know.

Develop a list of questions to address your concerns.Consider these questions:

How well does my child get along with others?

What are my child's best and worst subjects?

Is my child working up to his or her ability?

Does my child participate in class discussions and activities?

Be sure to ask the teacher for specific suggestions on ways to help your child do better. This is the most important part of the meeting, and it will become your action plan. If the teacher says something you do not quite understand, ask for further explanation. It is a good idea to end the conference by summing up decisions you have made together.

Following the conference, immediately begin the action plan you and the teacher worked out together. Discuss the plan with your child. Make sure he or she knows that you and the teacher care. To see if the action plan is working, watch your child's behavior and check your child's class work and homework.

Stay in regular touch with the teacher to discuss the progress your child is making. Meeting with your child's teacher should help build strong parent-teacher partnerships, which are needed if you and your child's teacher are to reach your common goal of helping your child get the best education possible.Thank you for your continued support! Wishing you an awesome November!

Pamela Albert Devine Ph. D.

Principal of Point Road SchoolI maintain a passion for education because "I learn something from our students, everyday. The younger students love life, everything about it. They can spend 10 minutes looking at one flower. They also speak their mind."

Mission Statement:In partnership with families and community, the Little Silver Borough Public School District is invested in continued excellence by inspiring critical thinking, fostering intellectual curiosity, and promoting acceptance of individuals, allowing children to achieve their full potential as responsible, contributing citizens of an ever-changing global community.